On Monday we will continue our annual tradition by recognizing Juneteenth with a special WOD. We will be running a holiday schedule with classes running at 9am, 10:15 and 11:30a. As always, the gym will be open to you from the hours of 5a to 10p.

Juneteenth is an American holiday celebrated on June 19th commemorating when federal orders were read stating that all slaves were free

To give a bit more detail, during the American Civil War, Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than three million slaves living in the Confederate states to be free. More than two years would pass, however, before the news reached African Americans living in Texas. It was not until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, that the state’s residents finally learned that slavery had been abolished. The former slaves immediately began to celebrate with prayer, feasting, song, and dance.

Juneteenth also called “Freedom Day”, is widely accepted in the United States as the day slavery ended. This is not a day just for African Americans to celebrate but a day for all Americans to remember and revere. It’s a testament to America’s ability to recognize wrongs and do its best to change course and make things right.

An article published in the Galveston Daily News summarized so beautifully why we must continue to do the work. “Injustices continue to stain our nation’s honor to prevent us from living up to our stated belief that all are created equal. The abuses of slavery and its successor practices have often been experienced by many generations. And it’s never improper to continue seeking justice for all.”

If you’ve done this workout before, you know this Juneteenth WOD has the volume and difficulty of a Hero WOD. And just like Hero WODs, it is designed to help you step outside of yourself to find a place of reflection, understanding, and remembrance. We can all make a difference.

This day is all about remembrance and community. We encourage everyone to come be part of this special day to honor Lt. Michael Murphy and all those who have lost their lives in service. Whether you are able to complete the whole workout or a portion, we can find scales that work best for you.

We will have a community pot-luck afterward, so bring a drink or dish to share (or both!).

Here’s what you need to know:

–       9 am start with opening remarks, standards review and National Anthem. Even if you are in a later heat, come for the start and cheer on your fellow Covies!
– Make sure you sign up for heats like you would for regular class (three heats will be up in Wodify). If you are doing it as a team, only reserve ONE spot please! Each slot is basically a ‘rig spot’. Two people on the team take up one rig space (if that makes sense!)

–       Outdoor versions are available (outdoor pull-up subs include ring rows or barbell rows)

–       Sorry, no barbells on the rig. Jumping pullups, barbell rows (off the rig) and ring rows are all great options.

–       Make sure you are hydrating properly ALL WEEK. Drinking water Monday is great, but starting now is even better!

–       All athletes will have to make their own time for a self-paced warm-up before we hit the workout. We will be coming around to all athletes to make sure everyone has an appropriate (and scaled for many) attack plan.

If you’ve been regularly coming to class, you are more than prepared to complete “Murph” in one way or another. If you are still new to CrossFit and the Cove, don’t worry we can make it work for you. Like we said before, there is a scale for everyone! 

We are big believers in the power of data and a fantastic tool we have available to our members is the  InBody Scanner. The InBody scanner can be found in the front of the gym lobby and it provides body composition data via bioelectric impedance. 

In the past we charged $20 a scan but we have decided to allow all our paying members to use the device on a quarterly basis (we don’t want to scan too often) to check your body composition. This is a valuable health marker and we encourage you to use it a couple of times a year to see where you stand.

We have a short video for you on how to use the scanner and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at Brian@CrossFitCove or Chris @CrossFitCove.com